Deep Roads Collectors
by Auztified
Summary: When Bodhan is in need of some new supplies, he hires a group of adventurers to travel into the deep roads. Searching for things that have been "left behind" for him to sell. But when they encounter a group of Grey Wardens, their simple scavenging mission takes a back seat to survival. Taking place after the Champion of Kirkwall is crowned but before Inquisition.
1. Prologue

Prologue- The World so Far...

The Hero of Fereldan had spared the world from another blight. Sacrificing her own life for the lives of Thedas. Although she spent her life in the circle, she would be remembered as a Grey Warden. The heroes of old, riding on griffons wings, and vanquishing darkspawn. After the battle of Denerim her companions had all went their separate ways, some returning home and others had adventures just beginning.

Merely a couple years later a Champion had been crowned in Kirkwall. Defeating the Qunari horde and ending their threat in the Free Marches. Hawke arrived as a refugee but was now one of the most powerful people in Kirkwall. His family had regained their honour, through him and his sister Bethany, a new Grey Warden.

Our story is about the young Augustus Trevelyan, recently kicked from the chantry before taking his Templar training. He had been held back time and time again, only allowed to remain because of his family name. Meanwhile his sisters and brothers were doing grand things for The Free Marches.

His affair with the Montilyet girl in the courtroom seemed like nothing compared to the most recent offence. Being caught in the chantry halls with a visiting nobles daughter. Granted she was a tevinter blood mage, but he still thought being expelled was a bit extreme.

Outcast from the courtrooms and the chantry, he was looking for work. Learning of The Champion Hawkes success he travels to Kirkwall. Only to meet a dwarf looking for adventurers, his name was Bodhan Feddic, and he was starting an expedition to the deep roads. Hiring eager mercenaries to go into the caves and collect valuables that adventurers had "left behind." With nothing to lose Augustus signs on to the expedition and unbeknown to him, that is where his story would begin.


	2. Orzammar

Chapter 1

Augustus had never been to Orzammar before, he had only heard tales of the stout warriors who fought darkspawn as if they were training dummies. From how the guard at the gate sassed him however, his only opinion of dwarves was that they were stubborn and rude. No formal greeting, just "give me your papers human." Luckily Bodhan had given him said papers, because he undoubtedly wouldn't have gotten in on his own. The nobles of the Free Marches thought he was too common and it appears the commoners thought he was too pompous.

As he stepped into the hall of heroes he was overwhelmed by the size of the cavern, dwarves were small people, he thought, why is this ceiling so high? Why is everything constructed like a castle? How could I get a fancy statue like this in my home? So many questions raced through his mind. But one toppled the others…

"Where am I going?"

Bodhan said the meeting party was in Tapsters Pub in the Orzammar Commons, there seemed to only be one door out of this hall, but how was he supposed to know if that was the "commons" or not. Augustus took the chance and opened the ridiculously bulky door. Behind it, the cave seemed to double in size and it really was a whole city under a mountain. He thought that the stories were embellished a little, but they undersold how huge the place really was. As he walked towards the crossroads he saw a dwarf shielded in armor, walking through the middle of the joined roads.

"Excuse me?" Augustus asked

"What is it surfacer?" The Dwarf replied

"I'm looking for Tapsters Tavern…I have business there"

"Tapsters is just down the road there, now leave me be, I have a job to do"

"What's that? Stand here and look scary?" Augustus jested

"Have you not heard? What do you do on the surface? Just stare at your so-called clouds all day? Mages from all over are running away from their circles, talks of rebellions and blasted blood magic cults."

"You worry about mages in Orzammar?"

"Of course we do human! Mages try to hide in the Commons or Dust town, we don't have any use for templars down here, and Lord Harrowmont has been a little too kind to surfacers passing through. These mages think our ancestral home as some sort of safe-haven for their spells and abominations. I am here to watch for any in the Commons, now leave me be!"

The dwarf irritably walked away and continued his patrol. He had pointed down the road on the left t, Augustus had no other business here, so he decided to go straight to Tapsters. He saw many shops and old monuments, some clearly newer, with less scratches and pieces breaking off. One was dedicated to The Hero of Fereldan, which from what he had just heard seemed ironic. The anger towards mages but the Hero herself was a mage from a circle. Now she was one of those Grey Wardens, he thought, but still she would probably be an inspiration to mages everywhere.

Augustus had no particular opinion on magic, he believed in the Chant of Light to a degree, but to him magic was just as dangerous as a templar with a sharp sword. He saw a building with signs that had three big mugs of ale on them…this was probably the place. As he walked into the pub he smelt the notorious stench of dwarven ale, along with the wet dog smell of beards soaked with ale. Now where were his companions he thought, as he scanned the room. He saw mainly dwarves in armor and merchants clothing, but in the far corner he spotted an elf. Sitting with his boots on the table surrounded by a couple dwarves, a woman and a Qunari.

"Quite a group" Augustus whispered to himself.

As he approached one of the dwarves spotted him and spoke.

"Oh the fancy noble boy is finally here!"

"Yes…that's me, fancy noble boy, a title I am quite fond of actually" He jested

"Quite nice to meet you, now to business, shall we? Can't quite protect someone who you don't know, yes?" The elf said

He was a roguish sort, his blonde hair tied back, a large face tattoo on his left side, tanned skin, and his smile devilish."

"My name is Zevran, Zev to my friends, I travelled with Bodhan for a bit and for this mission he is my boss, funny how these things happen, alright your turn!"

"Uhm…I am Augustus Trevlyan, fourth son inducted into the Ostwick Chantry, recently expelled from said chantry" Augustus said

"I Am Maraas" The Qunari said "Tal Vashoth Mercenary"

He was large and grey, like most Qunari, his horns short and coiling behind his head, Augustus had seen many Qunari in the Free Marches but could never tell them apart. One of the three Dwarves spoke up

"I am Lolinar Ivo, these are my two men, Bran and Sullan we are to be your escorts into the Deep Roads"

All the Dwarves gave a wave and went back to planning with their commander.

"And you are?" Augustus asked the human woman

"Ellenora" She said brushing him off

"Charming…" he said disappointed

"There now we know each other, that was only mildly terrible no?" Zevran said "We are all here! Bodhan has given us a map and we leave tomorrow! Get some rest my friends, I have been down these paths before…and I do not wish to stay long."


	3. Tainted Blood

Chapter 2

Tainted Blood

The deep roads, it felt like it never ended, Zevran said they passed Ortan Thaig a couple miles back, but Augustus couldn't tell the difference between Ortan Thaig and those two rocks that Bran kept pointing out.

"Where are we even going?" Augustus asked "I thought we were just looking for fallen soldiers gear"

"We have to go deeper, where the darkspawn are more prevalent, that's where our warriors would have fallen, where your precious cargo is" Lolinar hissed back at him

"I didn't realize we would have to fight darkspawn…"

"Don't worry my friend, that is why we have this large qunari man and all these nice dwarves, big strong men ready to protect us beautiful people" Zevran joined in

As they continued they heard fighting in the distance, darskpawn screeches and blades clashing, the ground shook as they got closer.

"An Ogre…" Zevran whispered

"Who is fighting?" Augustus asked

"It could be the legion of the dead" Sullan said "They are heroes of the deep roads, fighting down here to protect us all"

"Sounds like suicide" Ellenora chimed in

"Let us find out" Zevran said

They began to sneak around the corridor, as they made it into a large tunnel, seemingly carved into the walls of rock, the fighting got louder. Darkspawn corpses littered the floor. The ground still shaking, they made it into a large clearing and in front of them, this was the battle they were seeking.

"Grey Wardens!" Augustus blurted out

He saw a squadron of the legendary heroes, slaughtering darkspawn, slicing them down with mighty blows, as if this was practice. As his party gawked at the mighty warriors, one turned towards them. A dwarf, with bright red hair and a long braided beard, he was stout and strong, throwing around a great blade as if it was a short sword.

"Ancestors tits! Zevran is that you?!" the dwarf exclaimed

"It is my friend, would you like some assistance?" he replied

"You know this dwarf Zevran?" Augustus exclaimed

Lolinar looked at Augustus unimpressed

"Everybody knows that dwarf, the Grey Warden Oghren, a drunken idiot who just so happened to help stop the blight." he said

"Oh, be nice Lolinar, he did help you decide your king after all" Zevran jested

As they spoke Marass began to run into the battle, throwing darkspawn out of his way, Elenora's magic was burning and freezing the beasts in seconds, while the three dwarves fought their way through giant groups of the monsters. Augustus pulled out his bow and began to take aim, flinging arrows into their skulls, he scanned the battlefield, everyone was doing fine, he could see a couple injured grey wardens still fighting. They must not feel it at all or, they were just mad. Then he saw the Ogre, charging into the fray, throwing darkspawn and warden alike. Oghren and Zevran took a familiar battle stance and Zevran quickly jumped and slashed around the dwarf's wild heavy swings.

Augustus aimed at the Ogre and shot an arrow directly into his eye, the monster turned to look at him and began to charge. His heart pounding as the beast got closer, he couldn't move, paralyzed by fear. Just as the beast was about to hit him, its eyes became lifeless and his enormous body fell right at Augustus' feet. Slamming into the ground shaking everything, and breaking rocks. On its back was a warden, a dark-haired woman, she appeared very beautiful, but her face was full of rage. Hopefully, Augustus thought, that was just her battle face. Her staff jammed into the back of the Ogres head, she ripped it out and started slinging her magic back into the fray.

"If you're not going to be of any help, get out of the way!" she yelled

After a few minutes all the darkspawn were slain, they had a moment to catch their breaths and Oghren brought the other two wardens over, the rest had been defeated, who knows how long they were fighting for before we showed up, Augustus thought.

"Oghren I didn't realize you were a grey warden now" Zevran said

"Oh yeah, The Hero of Fereldan had some trouble when everyone else left, so I helped her and became a mighty warden HAHAH" Oghren shouted

"Another thing to thank the Hero for" The dark-haired woman added sarcastically

"Why are you here?" A third warden appeared, he was much older, his hair grey and tattered

"We are on a scavenging mission, all legal" Lolinar said while pulling out the papers

"Scavenging in the deep roads, are you working for Bodhan?" Oghren laughed

"Yes…I owe him a favour for getting the crows off my back about some stolen goods" Zevran admitted

"HAHAHA glorious, back into these blasted deep roads, as long as I don't see any more disgusting brood mothers I won't regret the trip!" Oghren said

"I am Bethany Hawke, it is nice to meet you Zevran, you saved my homeland you know" The dark-haired woman said

"My home as well, no need for praise…okay maybe a little, you are The Champions sister yes? I met your brother in Kirkwall." he inquired

"Yes, my brother has become quite famous, hasn't he? Not like me, doomed to die in these blasted caves"

"Why are the grey wardens here?" Augustus asked

"Finally," Ellenora sighed

"A party of Grey Wardens came down here, to fight their final battle…but they saw something that made them come back. Something unbelievable." Bethany said

Augustus didn't like how secretive the grey wardens were, he couldn't believe a talkative man like Zevran had worked with them.

"A small party for something _Unbelievable_ " Bran said

"There is another party taking an alternative route, we took as many pros as possible, and the rest are older wardens, here for the calling, to fight the deadlier opponents" Bethany said

"Me and Bethany here were some of the only wardens to actually fight down here, we saw some crazy stuff Zevran, but she almost died, and fought a tevinter magister darkspawn thing!" Oghren said

"Yes, my life is quite a story, especially the terrifying, scarring parts." Bethany hissed out "I hate to ask this but Zevran would you consider joining us? You and Oghren know the path to Caridans Cross better than most people, and we have lost a lot of wardens."

"I do not like the idea of seeing more ghastly beasts, however the farther we go, the rarer treasures we find and the more money we will make, a tempting offer yes." He responded

Augustus couldn't imagine the idea of working with the Wardens, he came down here to make a quick buck, not fight darkspawn…but if the wardens told his family of his deeds, he would be able to go back home, maybe back to his life in the chantry.

"We will not risk our lives that far into the deep roads, we have led you onto the path, we are returning to Orzammar now" Lolinar said while he packed up his things "Ancestors guide you"

The three dwarves began to head back on their journey, as they rested Zevran debated the wardens offer

"What do you think?" he asked the group

"You're asking us?" Augustus exclaimed

"If I get to fight more beasts and make more coin I will fight for you elf" Marass stated

"Ill stay" Ellenora said

"Well…I can't be the only person to say no, as you said, more treasures" Augustus added laughing

Zevran went to talk to the three remaining wardens, their simple mission to collect treasure had gotten them entangled with legendary warriors, Augustus thought. Apparently tomorrow was going to be an exciting day, it was time to rest. Who knows...maybe he would be a warden at the end of this, or maybe darkspawn food, either way…


End file.
